Here are some suggestions:
-
- Look at yourself in a mirror at the same time as you say positive affirmations to yourself.
You can prepare the affirmations on a piece of paper beforehand, or your can improvise.
This can be really difficult for those with a really poor body image.
Set yourself time goals to help you.
The first time you could for example look into the mirror for 15 seconds.
Next time you can do 30 seconds, and after that 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes and so on.
It will get easier with practise. - Look at yourself in a mirror and smile.
When you smile, lots of "happiness hormones" are released by your brain.
If you look at yourself at the same time as these hormones are rushing around in you, your brain will start to connect the image of you with a happy feeling.
Your brain will compute that "you" = "good". - Listen to positive affirmations.
If it is too difficult for you to look at yourself in a mirror, you can try to simply brainwash yourself with positive affirmations related to your body.
The best is if you write these affirmations on your own, but if you need inspiration there are lots of affirmation lists online that you can search for. - Meditate yourself into feeling beautiful.
Try to simply sit comfortably and try to feel beautiful.
Imagine that you are an actor/actress and that you are acting as a really beautiful/handsome woman/man.
This is like practising to feel the feeling that you eventually want to be able to feel all the time.
The better you get at bringing this feeling into you, the more easily it will come to you naturally. - Search for parts of your body that you do like.
Even if you generally think that you are ugly, you will still most likely have some parts of your body that even you will like.
How about your finger nails? Your eye brows? Your collar bones? Your belly bottom? Your ears? Try to find as many positive parts on your body as possible. - Say "thank you" to your body.
Even if you don't think that your body looks good most parts of it are probably functional.
Thank each part of your body for supporting you.
For example, say "thank you nose for letting me breathe and smell", "thank you feet for making me able to walk around wherever I like" or "thank you stomach for making me able to eat some many different kinds of delicious foods and digesting it for me". - Give yourself a massage.
Touch is good for us, whether it comes from others or from ourselves.
Giving yourself a massage will show your body that you care about it, appreciate it and even love it.
It will make you feel good at the same time as you're improving your body image.
Great isn't it?!